Class A Thor Product ACE

[behunt11]

I am currently looking into trading in our 5th wheel and tow vehicle on a Class C unit. Recently we were at a dealer and after driving a Thor Industry product class C we were introduced to a new Thor product "A.C.E. which is a class A unit with all models between 27 and 30 feet in length. I was very impressed with the product. Interested in comments regarding Thor Class A products in general and also if any one has any experience with the ACE Models. According to the dealer they have taken the market by storm.

Thanks for your input.

[petef]

I bought a new Hurricane 27k which is a step up grade wise from the ACE 27.1, has a bigger TV bigger microwave, finish a little nicer, self level jacks. I drove it from Tx to home in NV and have a host of issues to deal with. Not saying it is all Thor's fault, but some quality control checks are not in place. For instance they have these driven to dealer for delivery, they don't ship by truck like a car, so if a coach is squeaking or steering funny that delivery driver should tell the dealer so he can fix these things. The front end had to be aligned, it was way off, and if you buy a new coach anywhere go have it aligned. The dash a/c is not working right, the dealer I bought it from thought he fixed it now the local dealer told me to leave it in his driveway for 3 weeks before he will look at it ( Camping world) so it is not like car dealer where they all treat you great when you need warranty work no matter where you buy it. The ride is not bad, but probably will be fine tuning the suspension, and the ACE has a 16k vs my 18k chassis. I have had to fix many small things so am told all new coaches have this quirk or maybe I am the quirk wanting to have everything perfect. All that said my wife and I love the layout and plan to travel extensively in style. If the Japanese or Europeans ever start bring motor homes in the US manufacturers are in big trouble. Gas is very expensive in those countries so probably not going to see alot of class A from them..

[smacdiesel]

I would do a lot of research before buying, look at all entry level units and read as much reviews as possible. Do research on roof materials, 30 amp v. 50 amp electrical, construction quality, etc...

I like the ACE, almost bought one, I too was looking at class c's originally, thought the ACE was serious upgrade. Thor does a good job in getting consumers to consider class a motorhomes most consider beyond their means.

Ultimately we went with a Winnebago Vista, but to each their own. Good luck with your purchase.

[Vncgrg]

I do not own a THOR product and I am not looking to purchase one 🙂
The THOR ACE sales were up over 200% last year. I guess a lot of
people like them and the Palazzo. Purchase what you like, I did..
Read this: http://www.rvguide.com/blog/2014/03/04/thor-motor-coach-the-top-selling-motorhome-brand-of-2013/

[et2]

Thor owns 9 different brand names comprising of 69 different models from MH's to travel trailers. One would think they are the most experienced of anyone in manufacturing these products. Yet they consistently put out junk. They are very good at aesthetics but fail in substance. They should be the leaders in manufacturing quality and expertise.

It's all about cornering the market for them. When you buy out your competition you control the profits. Many good manufactures brand names have suffered because of the Thor acquisition of them. What they are the best at is making money and putting others out of business.

[Rwake901]

We have a 2014 ACE 30.1. We've had it a year last weekend. Very few minor problems, all of which I repaired myself. We put 6000 miles on it in the year that we've had it and getting ready to go to Florida in Oct. I think for the price its a great motorhome. If you need real tile flooring and corian counter tops then you'll be paying a lot more. We are very happy with ours and its just the right size for us...

[Effy]

afrescop wrote:
Latest issue of Motorhome magazine has a a review of a $396,000 Thor motorhome. Chief among the comments are fit and finish issues. Now if there are problems on a top end Thor product what would you expect at the bottom end? You spent lots of money on an A.C.E. and you have to powdercoat the SECOND bumper yourself because the first two rust? What does that say for quality? Search the Internet for "Thor RV" and read about quality issues ranging from low end travel trailers to high end motorhomes.
Have you looked at other entry level motorhomes from other manufacturers? Winnebago offers both the Vista 26 and Itasca Sunstar 26, both of which sell for about $69,900.
Before jumping into something with such well documented (at least on here) flaws it would pay you to look before you leap.

From a Winnie owner of course.

Again, couldn't be happier with our ACE. I have been in a Vista. Dated and stark interior, same quality. I read horror stories about them too. I wasn't impressed and frankly I just didn't like it. The interior and décor are so mundane.

[afrescopXx]

Latest issue of Motorhome magazine has a a review of a $396,000 Thor motorhome. Chief among the comments are fit and finish issues. Now if there are problems on a top end Thor product what would you expect at the bottom end? You spent lots of money on an A.C.E. and you have to powdercoat the SECOND bumper yourself because the first two rust? What does that say for quality? Search the Internet for "Thor RV" and read about quality issues ranging from low end travel trailers to high end motorhomes.
Have you looked at other entry level motorhomes from other manufacturers? Winnebago offers both the Vista 26 and Itasca Sunstar 26, both of which sell for about $69,900.
Before jumping into something with such well documented (at least on here) flaws it would pay you to look before you leap.

[epiphone]

We love our 2013 27.1 ace. Perfect size for 2 people. Perfect couples class A. Easy to drive, affordable and we have put 10000 miles on it in first year with no problems.
It has the ford v 10 engine on f53 chassis which gives it plenty of power. We are towing a 2013 jeep wrangler 4 down with no issues. There have been some small maintenance issues ie valance fall off, leaking kitchen faucet etc... but nothing that I could not fix myself. Good luck on your journey

[Effy]

behunt11 wrote:
Thanks for your input, I will do some additional research, particularly as to the mfg. of the slides in the ACE.

Schwintek as is used as in any other entry level aside from Newmar. From what I understand on the Palazzo, it's not about the slide mechanism per se. As a lot of other entry level DP use them (Forest River, Winnie, Fleetwood and other Thors)without issue, but it's how the holes are cut and then the slide attached to the Palazzo that is the problem. I have no issues on the slide on my Ace.

[phnguyk]

Effy wrote:
Let me preface by saying there are Thor bashers on here. Problems with their DP, the Palazzo, somehow translate into everything Thor is bad. It's not. A lot of us Love our Thor products. I wouldn't advise buying a Palazzo, but the ACE is a solid proven model. Haters gonna hate.

Anyway, I have had 2 ACES, our most recent a 29.2. The ACE line came out in 2012. First let me say, it's an entry level unit. Priced accordingly but level set your expectations. It's entry level. That said we LOVE our ACE. I find the fit and finish on par for the price. Real cherry cabinetry, vinyl under the dinette - brilliant, queen size electric bunk - that does not render the front seats useless. And the storage is amazing. Once I got it weighed and PSI set correctly as well as the free sway bar adjustment it's surprising how nicely and quietly it handles. Ours has had very little in the way of issues and nothing that wasn't handled quickly. Thor has been awesome to deal with. There's not much bad to say about it given it's genre and it's easy to see why a few other companies have made all but complete copies. It's a great little Class A. A few things that bugged me; the faucets are cheap, I replaced mine with good residential ones, The living room TV does not tie into the head unit to leverage the house speakers - A simply wire or wireless transmitter fixed that but I think the newer ones come with a sound bar, I wish it had slam latches on the bins, and I had issues with the steel bumper rusting - Thor replaced, but it's happening again. I kept the old one so I may blast it and get it powder coated. That's about it though, happy with everything else. PM me if you have specific questions.

Exactly. 2008 thor hurricane, 2 slides, trouble free.

[behunt11]

Thanks for your input, I will do some additional research, particularly as to the mfg. of the slides in the ACE.

[Effy]

Let me preface by saying there are Thor bashers on here. Problems with their DP, the Palazzo, somehow translate into everything Thor is bad. It's not. A lot of us Love our Thor products. I wouldn't advise buying a Palazzo, but the ACE is a solid proven model. Haters gonna hate.

Anyway, I have had 2 ACES, our most recent a 29.2. The ACE line came out in 2012. First let me say, it's an entry level unit. Priced accordingly but level set your expectations. It's entry level. That said we LOVE our ACE. I find the fit and finish on par for the price. Real cherry cabinetry, vinyl under the dinette - brilliant, queen size electric bunk - that does not render the front seats useless. And the storage is amazing. Once I got it weighed and PSI set correctly as well as the free sway bar adjustment it's surprising how nicely and quietly it handles. Ours has had very little in the way of issues and nothing that wasn't handled quickly. Thor has been awesome to deal with. There's not much bad to say about it given it's genre and it's easy to see why a few other companies have made all but complete copies. It's a great little Class A. A few things that bugged me; the faucets are cheap, I replaced mine with good residential ones, The living room TV does not tie into the head unit to leverage the house speakers - A simply wire or wireless transmitter fixed that but I think the newer ones come with a sound bar, I wish it had slam latches on the bins, and I had issues with the steel bumper rusting - Thor replaced, but it's happening again. I kept the old one so I may blast it and get it powder coated. That's about it though, happy with everything else. PM me if you have specific questions.

[hanko]

I take it you havent looked at the other Thor Post in here.